Tranquil Sands
by ValentineObsession
Summary: *WRITING* RyuxNina, AU. Ryu is a wanted bandit, dead or alive. When she gets kidnapped by him for an unknown plot, Nina begins to learn about the kingdom's infamous blue-haired bandit. Rated for: Language, Adult Content, Violence. *CHAPTER 4 UP*
1. Like a Fly to a Spider

Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire or its characters.

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"Excellent, Princess!" exclaimed her instructor. Nina lowered her hand, her breath labored. Before her stood the incinerated remains of a wooden soldier, the only object in an otherwise empty field. Nina closed her eyes and inhaled, recomposing herself before turning to her instructor.

"Thank you, Professor," she said, her soft voice strained from exhaustion.

The old man beamed. "You have been assimilating the curriculum at over twice what I expected," the magician praised. "However, remember that you're disarmed spells will always be weaker than spells cast through your wand." His smiling face grew solemn. "Only rely on it for last resorts."

Nina nodded in understanding. "Yes, Professor."

The instructor clapped his hands together, rubbing his palms excitedly. "Since you have been progressing so readily, I am going to show you something I do not normally show first-year apprentices." With a wave of his hand, a gust cleared the field of ashes.

"Now, before I show you this, listen: a spell of this power cast improperly will surely kill its caster. I show you this spell for knowledge, not for experimentation," Nina's instructor warned her. Nina nodded, a mixture of excitement and curiosity overwhelming her.

"Very well. This spell is the tier-three lightning spell Myollnir. Watch closely." Closing his eyes, he slowly lifted his hands and chanted underneath his breath. Energy built around him slowly as Nina watched on anxiously.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the air and struck the ground in front of them, the force of it knocking Nina unexpectedly off her feet and throwing debris in the air. Nina coughed, the air clearing to reveal the extensive damage.

Nina's eyes widened as a crater nearly two hundred of her paces around occupied the once green meadow. What damage and with only his hands! Shakily getting to her feet, Nina faced her professor.

"That…that was incredible!" she exclaimed with childish excitement. "And without channeling your magic through a wand!"

"It is true that such a spell is terribly destructive," her instructor replied. "We have only had to use such spells in times of war." He turned towards Nina, his face grave. "As the heir to the throne, such an onus will fall on you, in time."

Nina suddenly felt cold as reality returned to her; this was not simply for her benefit training to someday accept the throne from her mother and father, the King and Queen of Windia.

"Well, I believe that is all for today," her instructor said, turning away to look at the sun above them. "It's about high noon now. The captain will be furious if you do not report promptly for your patrol."

With a sigh, Nina nodded and turned to follow her instructor back to the kingdom.

xxxxXxxx

For as long as she could remember, Nina's life had always been preparatory routines; training in magical and armed combat, familiarizing herself with the roles of the staff, researching the rich history of the kingdom - everything was always purposely planned. As a child, Nina resented the duties forced upon her by lineage, but after almost two decades of life, she began to appreciate the necessity and privilege of her position.

Even with this appreciation, however, Nina still did not look forward to her militant training.

"You are going to succeed myself as the head of the royal army," the King had once told her. "As such, you need to know not just how to fight like a soldier but think like one. Battle strategies, rapport with generals and troops, the ability to lead your company into battle are all necessary to win a war."

"But now I'm stuck leading small, useless search parties," Nina mumbled to herself. She looked around at her company; about a dozen younger soldiers all war-pups, obnoxious children in uniform. She had decided to let them take a short break from their mission to eat and recuperate.

Nina sighed with resignation and looked back down to the scroll she held with her orders: _Obtain intelligence on the whereabouts of Unit 74. Last known returning from a northern trading expedition. Confirm status of the unit._ Confirm status - find out whether they were alive or dead. A simple mission, one that had gone cold weeks before, but the King had insisted on her to try to find a new lead. So far, she had little success.

Putting the scroll away in her pack, Nina stood up to face her party. "Alright, time to head back out. Since we've got nothing in the kingdom, we'll look through the outskirts of the forest then question the farmers out along the west road." There was a collective groan as they collected their things to begrudgingly follow their leader's orders.

They made good time and soon found themselves walking through the dense forest to the north of the kingdom. Nina knew they wouldn't find anything in the forest. There were small groups of renegades and bandits around the kingdom, products of poverty and the slum life. However, nothing Unit 74, a trained group of soldiers, couldn't readily handle.

They ventured further in, looking for signs or tracks of the unit or the bandit camp that was allegedly here long ago. Nina led the group about an hour into the forest before turning to her party. "Okay, we'll split the twelve of us into three groups," she said authoritatively. "I will lead Unit A to the north, Unit B take the west and Unit C take the east. Spread out and comb the area for any tracks. Rendezvous here in three hours." With those orders, the party was divided and soon on their individual paths.

Within the second hour, Nina began to feel uneasy. She had always been sensitive to magical forces (perhaps the reason her magical training was her favorite lesson of the day) and now she could feel the anxious feeling of strong magic overwhelming her - extremely strong magic.

"Stop," she commanded, and instantly her soldiers heeded, looking at their captain. "Something's here, something magical" They all readied their weapons, looking around cautiously for the unknown entity. Maybe this expedition would turn out to be more interesting than Nina originally thought. Suddenly there was a rustling a tree near them, causing the party to turn to face the threat with their weapons drawn.

A young man stepped out, tall with handsome features. He had a smaller but fit frame, covered by worn clothing. One may have mistaken the man for a traveler or merchant but the sword strapped to his side spoke otherwise. The sheath and hilt were remarkably clean and a jewel the same color as the stranger's blue hair shone on the base of the hilt.

Nina was startled by the appearance of the man clearly not much older than herself. Not so much by the fact that the stranger had appeared in the first place but by both the sudden disappearance of the magical force and her instant recognition of him.

"You…you're Ryu the Outlaw!" she cried, almost overwhelmed by fear and awe. The two soldiers with her both paled. They knew the story of the bandit, a man who had single-handedly destroyed several small villages to the west. He had even burned down the McNeil mansion, where Windia had sent several of their armed guards to protect the mayor of their western trading post.

The young man smiled slightly but their was no life in his eyes. "I am pleased and surprised you have heard of me, your Majesty. Even more impressed you could tell I was following you," he said coolly. He looked at the two soldiers behind her. "You two are insignificant in this conversation. You may leave now."

The two soldiers exchanged a glance before charging the bandit, swords drawn. Before Nina could even react, the two soldiers fell, their armor cut cleanly through. Ryu stood above their now bleeding bodies, sheathing his sword.

Nina felt a chill run through her body. She hadn't even seen this man draw his sword and before she knew it he had already killed two of her armed soldiers, cutting through them as if they were nothing. She raised her wand, clenching it tightly to stop her hands from shaking.

"So you are a magician," Ryu noted. "That would explain how you could sense me coming. I will admit I had not thought you would be trained so well, yet it does not surprise me coming from the future heir to the Windian throne."

"Why are you here?" Nina asked in a strained voice.

A ghost of a smile played on Ryu's lips. "It is funny you should ask. I'm here to take you to see something. I would simply tell you but I have a feeling you would not believe me, you see."

"And if I don't want to go to wherever this 'something' is?"

Ryu frowned. "I am afraid I am going to have to insist," he said. He started making his way toward her.

That was what Nina figured; he was here to kidnap her. Channeling her energy, she spoke the magic incantation and suddenly a vacuum of air shot at Ryu.

Ryu's sword flashed in the dim light of the forest and arced down, cutting right through the vacuum and dispersing the now useless wind energy. He sheathed his sword and faced the speechless Nina. "You are going to need to do better than that, Princess," he said. "Do not do me the displeasure of underestimating me again."

Quickly Nina regained her composure. "So, you're able to break spells physically?" she asked. "Fine, I won't hold back then." Focused now, she raised her wand and pointed it at Ryu, who remained still, almost looking amused. This time, she rapidly spoke a string of words and raised her second hand before suddenly releasing the energy at Ryu.

Nina saw Ryu's eyes widened in surprise as the realization took place; he had been hit with two spells simultaneously - Blunt and Slow. Without giving him time to react, she gripped her wand with both hands and spoke the words to her strongest spell. A blazing ball of wind and fire energy burst forth, colliding with Ryu's chest and engulfing him in a large sphere of flame.

After completing her spells, Nina breathed deeply and called towards the wall of fire, "Did I underestimate you this time, bandit? What do you think of my Simoon spell?" Actually, Nina knew that if he had had the power to destroy the spell again or the speed to move out of its way, her spell would have been useless. By using both her hand and her wand, she had hit him with two unseen spells that enabled her to strike him with her slower visible spell.

Nina looked down at her fallen comrades. "What am I going to do now?" she asked herself aloud. She knew she could not just leave their bodies out here. They had died serving their duty and deserved to be respected in death, yet Nina could not physically carry two bodies the two hour journey back.

With her decision made, Nina started back to the rendezvous point. She would return with the rest of her party to help her carry the others; leaving them alone was a lesser evil than abandoning the bodies entirely or fruitlessly attempting to carry them herself.

"Where do you think you are going, Princess?"

Nina froze, her eyes wide in fear. She turned slowly back towards the fire and saw a figure walking through the flame. Suddenly Ryu's body emerged, unscathed by the attack.

"How…?" Nina began to ask, fear turning to panic. Ryu had withstood her most powerful attack and without as much as a scratch!

"That was a very tricky technique," Ryu said, brushing ashes off his clothing. "On any other person, that combination magic would have surely been the end of them. However, I do not need a sword to withstand a magical attack, including your tier-one spells Blunt and Slow."

"Then that means," Nina said, "that you could have simply evaded my attack at anytime."

Ryu nodded. "I needed to show you that there is nothing you can do to harm me." Ryu began walking towards her. "Now, if you are done playing, I insist we must leave now."

Nina stood in place, transfixed by her terror. "Where are you going to take me?" she whispered.

Ryu stood in front of Nina, towering over a head above her. He looked down, smiling before his hand came down and blackness covered Nina's vision.

* * *

Author's Note: So here it is, the first chapter to my new story. I've already outlined much of the story and simply need to add in the minor details, so the story should progress smoothly and be updated frequently. I will allow some time for people to read and give me some input though, hence my not putting up all the chapters at once. Read and review!


	2. A Shadow on the Throne

Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire or its characters.

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Chapter 2 - A Shadow on the Throne

Nina opened her eyes slowly, her eyes adjusting to the dark room around her. She tried to sit up but quickly faltered; her head ached greatly and her body was stiff from lying on the ground. Holding her head, Nina realized that she was actually in a tent and the ground beneath her was a thin sleeping bag resting on uneven dirt, accounting for her stiffness.

This time rising slowly, Nina sat up. Before panic could set in, she took several deep breaths, closed her eyes and began a magic exercise her teacher had once taught her. She built up energy as though to cast a spell but instead of forming the magic words, Nina focused the energy and made it flow through her body like a current. This technique was actually to develop magical control but Nina found the meditation to be relaxing.

A shadow shifted outside, probably a guard sensing a buildup of magical energy. Nina paid no attention to it. Instead, she lowered her shoulders and felt the energy spread from her chest to her fingertips then back down to her feet. After the process was completed, she let the energy gradually fade away. The shadow retreated again, content that she wasn't intending mischief. Her composure regained, Nina shifted her attention to the situation at hand.

Nina had been taught that in harsh situations, analyze your surroundings and identify your resources. She looked around and saw a mostly barren tent, the only item inside being the sleeping bag she was resting on. Her wand had been taken but her hands and mouth remained unbound. Sighing with frustration, she closed her eyes to listen instead. She heard a few quiet voices and the distinct crackling of a fire maybe fifty paces from her.

So Ryu wasn't the only bandit; the stories of his single-handed destruction may have been an honest testament to his incredible strength but he was not a lone warrior. In fact, from the number of voices she could make out, there were at least a dozen, too many for her to take out without her wand. Maybe if she could distract them by setting their camp on fire with a Simoon spell…

Nina chuckled darkly to herself. Even if she could generate enough power to catch the camp ablaze, it wouldn't be able to stop everyone. She cringed when she remembered Ryu's indifference to her Simoon spell cast through her wand at it's highest concentration of power. Everyone might be foolish enough to be absorbed by the burning camp but Nina sensed a higher intelligence from the outlaw, who surely had the power to stop her.

The tent flap drew open and interrupted Nina's thoughts. Ryu stepped in, his eyes as unreadable as always. "I see you have awoken," he said. "Since that is the case, perhaps I should begin by apologizing."

Nina scowled. "Apologize for kidnapping me?" she spat. "Don't kid yourself. I'm a prisoner, not a guest."

Ryu sighed. Nina tensed as he approached her but he merely sat in front of her. "If I had been presented with a different alternative, any alternative, I would have taken it," he said gravely, his eyes glowing intensely. "All I ask is you listen to what I have to say, nothing more."

Nina could only gulp and nod, hypnotized by the sudden ambience of his face.

"As of right now there are two options," Ryu explained. "We could force you into captivity, bind your hands and legs and place you in a gag. We could station a guard here at all times, gradually breaking your spirit by isolation and malnourishment, even if it takes years. Eventually, even if you prove more resilient than most, your kingdom will inevitable fall into political turmoil over who would take the throne without a royal heir."

"Is that your goal?" Nina said coldly. "To cause the collapse of the Windian kingdom?"

"Not at all," Ryu replied indifferently. "We seek reconciliation; the means are insignificant so long as the ends are met."

A confused expression crossed Nina's face. "Reconciliation?"

Ryu nodded. "It will become clear soon," he said. "This leads me to our second option: If you give your word as royalty to not attempt escape or harm in any way for the next three days, we will accommodate your needs and you will be treated well."

"Why the three days?" Nina asked, suspicious. The length was too exact, as if they were waiting for something. Ryu knew that Nina would not break her royal word; compromising one's character regardless of the situation would show weakness in the royal line, even if only to herself. Therefore, it was important for her to know the situation before taking such a firm oath.

"We have sent a messenger to Windia to explain the situation. Three days will give both the messenger time to contact your father and for you to understand our reasons." Ryu stood up, brushed the front of his shirt for dirt and suddenly offered his hand to Nina. "It is your choice. I would rather have a peaceful resolution to this situation. I believe after you hear our story, you will understand, though you may not agree."

There was a moment of silence as Nina contemplated the options. She knew she could not overpower Ryu and the intensity in his eyes earlier convinced her he was willing to do whatever he needed to achieve his end. He had acknowledged that she didn't need to agree with their goal; it seemed as though enlightenment was theirs only means for the moment. In the back of her mind, she felt a nagging curiosity at the end - how did everything connect to the Windian kingdom?

Taking a deep breath, Nina reached up and grasped Ryu's hand. With the closest thing to a smile Nina had seen yet, Ryu helped her up before releasing her hand and turning toward the exit, Nina close behind. The king had once taught her that to understand a person, she had to become that person. If it meant saving Windia from an unknown threat, she would do anything in her power to stop it, even if it meant becoming the enemy.

xxxxXxxxx

There was a grim silence over the throne room. In the torchlight, the usually glistening golden room appeared sinister. Banners bearing the Windian flag coated the walls, shadows dancing upon them as if to foreshadow the horrors about to fall on the nation. The three thrones, the two smaller ones of the queen and princess and the grander one of the king, stood at the end of the room, only two occupied. Before them ran a regal carpet from the chamber doors to their feet and on it a loyal subject, his head bowed in respect.

"Damn him!" cursed the king, slamming his fist on his throne. "Damn his soul to Hell!" The queen remained silent, sitting beside her husband in her smaller but as impressive throne.

The guard lowered his head and remained on his knee in bow. "We had several of our Cloaks shadowing her movements but it appears that Ryu was alert, your Majesty. He had several of his own men ambush and kill them before kidnapping the Princess."

The king rubbed his temples and shut his eyes tightly. "Have you validated his claim, then?" he asked through gritted teeth.

The guard looked up and nodded. "Yes, your Majesty. The helmet and mask he brought back have been checked. The former was from a guard posted with her and the other belonged to a Cloak following the princess. The wand he brought was taken to the Royal Wizard and he said the magical signature imbedded in the wand could belong to no one but the Princess."

"Very well, then," the king said before opening his eyes and waving the guard away. "Let in the messenger." The guard stood up quickly, bowed formally and hurried out. At his exit, a small man walked in accompanied by two royal guards. His appearance was startling - a young man barely in his twenties, his shaggy hair windswept, his clothes ragged and dirty and through all this he retained a boyish smile on his face. Despite the glowering gaze of the king, the man walked with an air of the utmost confidence.

"Good evening, your Majesty," the man said, his voice frivolous. "I take it you have validated my claim." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, we have," the king retorted angrily. "Now tell me this message before I have you sent to the dungeons!"

The young man chuckled. "I would advise against that. You see, if I do not return in three days, Ryu will simply kill your daughter and leave you to deal with the political chaos that will follow." The man waved his finger. "So it would be better for both of us if we just had a simple, civilized conversation."

The king stood up. "You kidnap the heir to the royal throne of Windia, threaten me with her death, expect me to bend to your whim and you call for 'civilized' conversation!" The king laughed sadistically. "Your contradictions are laughable. I could just as easily call for a search of the area, kill you and be done with it!"

With a frown, the young man said, "You expect to search all the forested land three days journey from here? Come now, you do not have the manpower for such a feat." The man waved away the threat nonchalantly. "Even if you could find them, Ryu could as easily kill Princess Nina before your men could do anything about it. We tracked and killed several of your Cloaks, your deadliest and most silent men. You could not ambush us without killing her."

The king fell silent, his hands turning white as he gripped the arm of his throne tightly. Taking his silence as resignation, the young man continued, "I have come here to deliver you a message and return to Ryu with a response: we will exchange the princess for fifty million zenny, to be provided by the Eastern Checkpoint. You are to present the money by yourself. We shall have three men with the princess waiting there at high noon in a fortnight from tonight. If you do not show or we suspect anything, we will kill the princess. Understood?"

The king exchanged a glance with the queen, who nodded her head silently. The king turned back toward the messenger. "Very well. Now leave and tell that bastard if anything should happen to the princess in her absence, I will make sure that he will suffer dearly. I will send my league of magicians to destroy every stone if it means his capture." The young man made a mocking bow before retreating through the chamber doors, escorted by the royal guards.

The room now emptied, the king addressed the queen. "I see little to be gained from this," he said quietly. "The princess is necessary to the future of Windia." He fell in silent in thought.

"Maybe," the queen began softly, "if you had not sent Nina to investigate that last Cloak group or at the very least properly made sure they had been killed…"

Before the queen could finish her statement, the king's hand came across her face, causing her to gasp in surprise. "Silence!" the king barked as the queen nursed her now red cheek. "If that idiot Mikba had done his job right, then the Cloaks would not have been a problem! But instead he botched the job and that damned Ryu came into the picture!" He roared angrily before pacing across the throne room.

"Nina was necessary to remove suspicion," he explained aloud. "Now I have to deal with a dead threat before they become public. If the citizens knew who was working for Ryu and how it came to be…" The king broke off with a shudder. He turned and stormed from the throne room, talking to himself and leaving the injured queen alone.

The queen scowled, removing her hand from her face. "Maybe we deserve the kingdom to fall."

* * *

Author's Note: So another chapter done and the story has yet to fully be unveiled. Things won't be getting all epic until the fourth/fifth chapter, so just hang on and believe me when I say these slower chapters are necessary for the plot. As for this actual chapter, I had an issue with the throne scene, deciding what information to drop and what to keep. Things may appear choppy and you may not understand completely (or others may think they know what's going on) but let me assure you that a complete picture will be painted. To answer a question in the reviews, this takes place in the Breath of Fire III world in terms of everything except for the character backgrounds. Spells, people, geography all remain the same but some things may be altered slightly (like spells cast through wands vs open hand). Anyway, let me know how you like it and I'll try to get the next chapter up in a couple weeks! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	3. The Dark Truth Behind the Bright Crown

Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire or its characters.

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Chapter 3 - The Dark Truth Behind the Bright Crown

The Cloaks were a myth widely spread throughout the kingdom of Wyndia, though no one knew how accurate the myth was or if the organization even existed. Rumors of an elite group of assailants that could walk in the shadows and carried death with them protected Wyndia to an extent. However, rumors were only talk and, being the heir to Wyndia, Nina set off to find the truth about the Cloaks.

Nina had asked her father when she turned thirteen about the existence of the Cloaks, though he merely brushed her off and changed the subject. Fueled further by that setback, she devised a plan: during the middle of the night, she would sneak into the records room and look through the confidential files, something explicitly forbidden to anyone without permission from the king or the record keepers.

Sneaking out that night with a hood made of dark sheets, Nina roamed the castle holding a small, magical flame in her hand, a spell she had learned by watching the Royal Wizard teach his apprentices. Twice she was almost caught on the way to the records room but she quickly extinguished her flame and hid before the guards came and went. It took several minutes for Nina to build another fire though, being young and inexperienced with magic, and each minute Nina feared she would be caught and punished.

Still, with her heart pounding, Nina finally reached the records room. It was not locked, as Nina expected it to be, so she swung open the door and proceeded.

Bookshelves and cabinets full of files, desks with scrolls of parchments and quills dotted the conference-sized room. Everything was meticulously organized, chronologically ordered with related materials cross-referenced by symbolic markers. In less than five minutes, she found a file relating to what she wanted.

_The Wyndian Covert Operation Group, codename 'Cloaks,' are hereby established to protect and serve the kingdom of Wyndia,_ the document read. _By means of infiltration, secrecy and assassination, the aforementioned group is to operate, at need, in confidentiality._

Nina continued reading the document, wide-eyed. It went on to say the group was comprised of no more than fifteen individuals at a time, all trained in physical and magical combat and masters of poison, theft, stealth and the like.

However, what surprised Nina the most, next to the undisputable proof the group existed, was the members of the group themselves. Most were comprised of crossbreeds between the cat-like clan called the Woren Clan and the members of Nina's tribe, the Fae Clan. The Woren naturally were built for quick offense - strong leg muscles and a keen sense of sight, smell and hearing lent themselves to such fighting. However, the Woren also had a natural affinity to lightning magic, like the Myollnir spell. In fact, it was commonly believed that the Woren could perform ancient lightning magic forgotten by the other clans.

Being part Fae, these creatures were almost human in appearance besides their tails which they covered with their namesake cloaks. The lineage also helped to supplement their natural lightning magic and agility, as most Fae members sacrificed pure physical strength for their quick movements and their offensive magic.

_The Cloaks, during times of inactivity, should retain the name and duties of a normal taskforce,_ the document further explained. Nina contemplated if she had seen any soldier on the training grounds that could be part Woren but their tails could easily be hidden underneath their heavy armor and clothing.

Before she could finish her thought, however, a blinding light shone from the doorway.

"Nina!" came the sound of her father's voice. His bark startled Nina who screamed and jumped, accidentally throwing the document into another shelf and knocking several other ledgers unceremoniously to the floor. "What are you doing in here?"

"I…I w-was…" Suddenly Nina became very aware of how much trouble she was in, her eyes finally adjusting to the light to see the angry face of the king accompanied by two armed guards. She hung her head in guilt and remained silent.

The king looked around, scoffed, then ordered the two men with him to reorganize the shelves. "I'll deal with the princess," he had said.

The king took Nina by the arm and led her downstairs. "Those doors are not locked because they have an alarm rigged to them," the king explained with petulance. They passed the kitchens and the dungeons and kept walking until they reached a single, dark, dank corridor. At the end of the corridor there was a solid iron door, bolted, strapped and locked. Odd markings dotted the door, none Nina recognized.

A single guard looked up at the sounds of footsteps and abruptly scrambled to his feet as the two royalty came into view. "Princess Nina will be relieving you of your post," the king explained. "You are assigned to dungeon duty." The guard seemed appreciative of the gesture, though he shot an apologetic look at Nina before he left. Nina could understand why - this single corridor and this one door she had never seen or heard of in her life gave off a dark aura that even she, a self-taught magician, could feel and fear.

"For your punishment, you are to stay and watch this corridor until morning," the king explained. "Since you seem to be so energetic in the night, you won't have a problem with doing this before going about your daily chores." The king began to leave Nina before stopping again. "If you try to leave or sleep, you will be punished severely." With that, the king left.

Even if she wanted to sleep, the ambiance from this ominous door kept drowsiness from her. She sat in the wooden chair the previous soldier had used before turning to look at the door, shivers running down her back. It seemed archaic though effective in keeping people out. Settling down into the chair, Nina resigned herself to her fate for the night.

At the very least, Nina told herself triumphantly, she had found out the truth about the Cloaks.

* * *

Ryu led Nina inside a tent near the side of camp where a man towering more than two heads taller than Nina paced. He had sharp and handsome features, though not as handsome as Ryu, with smooth, blonde hair and an athletic figure. He had two large knives sheathed at either side of his waist and a cheek-long scar running the side of his face. His most distinguishing characteristic, however, was the golden tail wrapped firmly around his waist.

"Greetings, Princess," said the man in a powerful voice as soon as they had approached. "My name is Alavex, formerly of the Cloaks." Alavex proceeded to kneel in traditional bow, though his head hardly came lower than her chin.

It took a moment for Nina to simultaneously process the information and recognize his features. "You…" she whispered, "are the missing leader of Unit 74!" Suddenly a million questions ran through Nina's mind: what had happened when his unit disappeared? was he really a member of the Cloaks? why would he be working for Ryu? Memories of that night vividly flooded Nina's mind.

Alavex chuckled, standing up. "Yes, Princess. Unit 74 was the title given to me and my men, to operate under the guise as a normal company," Alavex explained. He exchanged an amused glance with Ryu. "How much have you told her?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, Ryu said, "I figured the story would be more believable if a comrade explained the details. I will allow you two privacy to talk." With a nod of his head, Ryu left the two standing alone in silence.

Nina cleared her throat. "Why are you helping a bandit against our own country?" she demanded, her righteous anger overtaking her initial confusion. "Have you really gone against your kingdom?"

Alavex sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I believe we should start with the beginning of the story, since you need to know all the details of this situation. Please, sit." Alavex motioned to a log bench near them. Nina hesitantly sat next to Alavex as he began his story.

"Unit 74 was deployed under the guise of a merchant group superficially trading goods near the Northern Checkpoint, this much I believe you know," started Alavex and Nina nodded in agreement. "Our true objective, however, was to infiltrate the Dauna Mines, which is disputed territory between the Northern Empire and Syn City."

"Wait," Nina interrupted, "isn't Syn City the stronghold for the Mikba Syndicate?"

Alavex nodded gravely. "Tensions have been rising steadily for the past few years and the king was concerned that some discovery in the cave could have some military implications for the kingdom of Wyndia. You see, the Northern Empire is a rather ambiguous state; however, it is vast in both populous and power from the information we have acquired. The Mikba Syndicate is only interested in material gains: drugs, sex, weapons. As an espionage unit, we were assigned to find what fueled the tension in the Dauna Mines, determine if it was a threat to Wyndia and act accordingly.

"It was quite difficult sneaking into Dauna Mines. Mikba had the place littered with thieves, hit-men and the like, presumably to keep the Northerners out. Since we weren't supposed to engage until we discovered what had Mikba so interested, only a couple Cloaks including myself entered the mines while the rest stood on surveillance. From there, it wasn't difficult getting to the main basement, however…" Alavex trailed off, his face dark and vacant, as if recalling a bad image.

Nina waited a moment before clearing her throat. "However…?" she urged.

Alavex shook himself out of his revere. "We found what held the two's interest for so long. Are you aware of what chrysm is?" Nina shook her head. "Chrysm is a rare, powerful mineral that amplifies magic to a greater degree than a wand and is more durable than steel, making it an effective weapon material. It is, in short, a very dangerous thing in the wrong hands."

"So," Nina said, catching along, "Mikba and the Northern Empire both were seeking a military advantage, which meant you had to intervene."

"Correct, Princess," Alavex said. "We found a small mountain of the mineral currently being excavated. We couldn't openly aggravate the full force of both the Mikba Syndicate and the Northern Empire, however we could delay them. I sent a couple of my men to inform the king of the situation while the rest of us rigged the mine's entrances with timed explosives. The tactic was successful, so we made to rendezvous with the two messengers on their return trip. Unfortunately…"

Suddenly Ryu entered the tent, followed by a young man. Nina noted that he, unlike Alavex, had no tail and was almost her own height with a boyish look to him. "I am sorry to interrupt but Guile has returned with news," Ryu said, indicating the man next to him. Alavex sighed and stood up, Nina following suit.

"I have just spoken with the King of Wyndia," the man named Guile said. Nina suddenly stood up straighter at the mention of the kingdom. "It looks like everything is going as smoothly as it can go."

"So he has agreed to appear by himself and pay the ransom?" Alavex asked skeptically.

"Wait," Nina interrupted, "you're trying to extort money from the kingdom?" She turned to Ryu. "I thought you said you wanted reconciliation? Or were you just lying to get my word?" Nina felt a rush of anger towards Ryu and in hindsight began to realize she should never have trusted a bandit to tell the truth. How stupid of her!

However, Ryu merely shrugged, his face passive. "You speak out of ignorance, so I cannot say your reaction is unwarranted." Ryu's expression hardened. "The ransom is a trap."

It took a moment for the words to register. "You mean you're going to try and kill the King of Wyndia as retribution?" Nina shouted hysterically. "For some idea of justice that probably doesn't exist? How dare you!"

Now Ryu frowned and for a moment Nina felt an unreasonable fear. "No," he answered quietly, "the ransom is a trap against us."

Before Nina could say anything, Guile interrupted. "The king is conniving. He will indulge us only for as long as the status quo is in our favor. At the exchange, once he gets you, the men with you will undoubtedly be killed. Isn't that obvious?"

Nina was too stunned by the frank response of the childish man to even get angry at his belittling tone. It was true that the king was smart - he was a military general and still a great strategist, one not to be underestimated. The only leverage Ryu's group held was herself and once that advantage was lost, it made no political or personal sense to let a kidnapping horde of bandits run free with ransom money. So if these men knew they couldn't succeed, why were they talking about the situation so casually?

Ryu was studying Nina's face, as if discerning her thoughts. "Alavex, please elaborate for the princess the scales in which the political game her father plays operates."

Alavex coughed. "We went back to Wyndia," he said, continuing his story, "hoping to meet our scouts halfway. However, we were tricked by the Royal Guards of Wyndia." Alavex held up his hand as Nina made to speak. "We told you that your father was a cunning man. Once informed that Mikba had discovered chrysm and the Northern Empire desired it, he set a grander scheme in motion. He sent us several units of guards with the message to storm Syn City and capture Mikba.

"However, it seems that the king and Mikba had communicated through messenger pigeons before we arrived. Mikba had agreed to sell Wyndia a majority of the chrysm in exchange for trained soldiers to protect him from the north, the very soldiers we escorted to Syn City. Unfortunately for us, the king did not want anyone outside the soldiers he traded Mikba to know of the situation and as soon as we arrived in Syn City we were ordered to be executed." Alavex took a breath and shook his head. "We held well but we were greatly outnumbered. If it were not for Ryu, we would have all died."

A heavy silence hung in the air as Nina processed what Alavex had just said, looking from him to Ryu, whose head was bowed, then back again. "The king…ordered you to be executed?" Nina asked hesitantly.

Guile laughed darkly. "The Cloaks are merely a tool used by the king and easily expendable," he said. "The towns you heard Ryu destroyed? They were actually places the king sent soldiers to ambush us. He sacrificed the safety of the villagers in lieu of a surprise advantage." Another laugh. "Of course, after a couple of failures, the king realized he should quit letting his taxpayers get senselessly killed in the crossfire. Fortunately for him, they were only small farm towns, so he didn't lose much cash."

"Okay," Nina said slowly, "let's say for a moment that I really did believe that the king was a cold, horrible tyrant and that the bandit who just kidnapped me is actually a hero in disguise. How are you planning on getting retribution on Wyndia if the ransom is a suicide mission?"

The three men exchanged glances before Alavex nodded to Ryu. "I only asked that you listened to our story and that the rest would be up to you," Ryu said carefully. "However, the success of this plan ultimately lies in your cooperation and trust."

Nina stood quiet for a moment before speaking. Finally, she opened her mouth and simply asked, "How?"

For a moment, relief crossed Ryu's face. "The king knew that to diminish any suspicions about his involvement in Unit 74's disappearance, he would send his own daughter to investigate," Ryu explained. "We planned to capture you then to explain our goal. Do you know of the marked door in the basement of Wyndia?"

A gasp escaped Nina before she could stop herself. The memory of the ominous door still made her body grow cold, though she knew it was senseless. "You know about that door?" she asked. Ryu nodded. "How? What's behind it? And what do those symbols on it mean?"

"Our end game is two-fold," said Alavex. "According to Ryu, behind that door is a piece of lost technology from the Eastern Continent, worth a fortune to traders in Junk Town. While a few of our men will willingly sacrifice themselves, we will have enough money to support ourselves and our families away from Wyndian jurisdiction. Secondly, if you do believe us, then once you inherit the throne, you can stop horrors like this from happening ever again."

A long silence held, broken only by the chirping of waking birds as the sunlight slowly flooded into the tent. Nina closed her eyes and thought through everything she had been told: she had been sent on a quest to find a presumably dead unit, only to discover them alive and wanted dead by her home kingdom. Of course, while there was no denying the half-Woren man was indeed a Cloak, he could have turned traitor, which caused the king to hunt for him. Who betrayed who first and why was Ryu involved in the first place?

"Nina," Ryu said softly. Nina's eyes shot open and met Ryu's azure ones. For the first time since they met, she could see a positive yet sad emotion swimming in his eyes. She couldn't help but be fascinated by his expression. "I know this is a lot to have you think about but you do not have to decide anything right now. We still have two days until the exchange. However, I would like to make you an offer."

"What?" Nina asked quietly, afraid her voice would give out. She still could not take her eyes off of Ryu.

"When we make the exchange, challenge our word," he said simply. "Ask your father if what we said is true. Eventually as ruler of Wyndia, he will expect you to handle such things, and I believe he will confirm what we have said." Ryu shook his head. "Just ask the king the truth. Regardless of what he says, only make your decision to help us or not afterwards…please," Ryu added in what Nina could only describe as desperation.

It was this final straw of human emotion that broke Nina. "Okay," she said timidly, then she repeated herself with more confidence. "Okay. I will find the truth."

"The truth," Ryu repeated forebodingly, "is all we ask."

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, so a longer wait on this chapter than I intended (as well as it being longer in length than originally thought), this chapter had a lot of plot shoved right in it. This chapter and the next couple will build into the meat of the story, so I apologize if this chapter seemed slow and burdensome. It is all necessary, however, and I hope it is at least remotely interesting. Again, thanks to everyone that's read my story and special thanks to everyone that has reviewed it! Next update within the next couple weeks!


	4. Paid Not in Gold

Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire or its characters.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Paid not in Gold

Nina laid on her sleeping bag, alone in her private tent. She had spent the past two days in relative comfort; she was fed and treated well, introduced to the rest of the camp (which included most of the former Cloaks and a few villagers Ryu saved from villages that wanted to return the favor) and allowed to roam freely with an escort. Overall, it was not an unpleasant experience for her being kidnapped.

Usually, Nina would be escorted by Guile or Alavex and they would normally talk while they aimlessly roamed. Guile had a way of being painfully direct when he spoke, while Alavex was polite and accommodating to her at all times. In a way, it had been quite an enlightening experience.

Though it was nearly midnight, there was still plenty of activity in the camp. The exchange was tomorrow and the camp was restless, so it was no surprise when Ryu opened the flap of her tent slightly. "May I come in?" he inquired courteously. If there was one thing Nina had come to expect in Ryu, it was calm, gracious demeanor.

"You can come in," she replied. Ryu nodded his head and stepped into the tent as Nina got to her feet. "What did you need?"

"As you know, the exchange will take place tomorrow at the Eastern Checkpoint," Ryu said. Nina nodded. "We will have three men escort you down for the exchange."

"The three cattle to the slaughter?" Nina interrupted pointedly.

Ryu ignored her and continued, "We've done our best to uphold our side of our agreement. I can only hope that you will keep your royal word and find out the truth about the politics of your kingdom." He seemed almost to say something else but instead held the silence. His eyes flickered past Nina, as if trying to look through the tent, breaking his normally suave manner.

"What if I find the truth and it isn't what you've told me?" challenged Nina, taking advantage of Ryu's moment of weakness. "What if I find nothing that supports what you've told me?"

Ryu's eyes snapped back to Nina and he shrugged his shoulders somewhat complacently. "Then nothing, I suppose," he answered. "The terms of our agreement don't dictate what you'll do, regardless of what you find out. Even if we are vindicated, you could simply forget all of this if you want. However, I don't think that will be the case."

Another moment of silence. "So let's say I do end up believing you all and want to help you get the lost technology, how are you going to know?" Nina asked.

"You coming to meet us would be out of the question," Ryu answered readily. "The king will not let you outside the grounds so soon after being kidnapped. After the failed exchange, he will expect us to try and attack you or the kingdom in some way. However, he doesn't know exactly what I'm capable of doing and I'll use that to my advantage.

"I'll give you two days to decide if you wish to help or not. If you do, then you'll need to steal the key to the basement door from your father without his notice and stand outside your balcony at exactly midnight on the second night home. If you don't wish to help, then simply don't show. However, I'll be waiting outside there for exactly ten minutes, no more."

Several things confused Nina at this point: there are armed sentries posted all along the Wyndian wall, yet Ryu made it sound as if he could sneak past them like they were children; Nina had no idea where or even what the key would look like; and Nina's room was nearly ten stories high off the northwest wall, with no possible way to climb.

Before Nina could voice any of her thoughts, however, Alavex opened the tent. His face was grim and gaunt, as though he hadn't slept in days. "Pardon me," he said, "but we must go over the plan for tomorrow." Ryu nodded and started for the exit.

Suddenly something clicked in Nina's mind - a question so obvious she should have asked it from the beginning. "Wait, Ryu!" Nina called, causing the pair to stop and face her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Who…who is escorting me to the…to the exchange tomorrow?"

Even before he answered, she knew what they were going to say. Alavex's face darkened slightly before he spoke. "I will be taking you," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Guile, Lutus and myself."

* * *

Lutus was a strange individual. Nina had not had much time to meet with him during her encampment with Ryu but the times she did speak with him were short-spoken. Tall, lean and quiet with long black hair and a scar over his left eye, Lutus and Guile were a couple of the few non-Woren Cloaks Wyndia had employed. Guile had been selected due to his physical speed, surpassing even the half-Woren Cloaks. Lutus was employed for his…unusual abilities.

To avoid thinking of the destination, Nina had asked Lutus what was his role in the Cloaks. "I am a magician," he stated matter-of-factly while he, Guile, Alavex and Nina made their way toward the checkpoint. "I specialize in close-range offense."

Most magicians tended to favor long-range or group-based attacks, being physically weaker, though while Nina thought it strange, it was not unheard of. Boost magic (magic that could temporarily increase one's speed, strength or endurance) was usually used by magicians to give the frontline soldiers an advantage while the magician worked up a more powerful attack spell. Sometimes, however, a magician trained in combat could use boost magic on himself, though it took more concentration to apply the spell on oneself.

"So, you're a boost magician," Nina thought aloud. "I never would have guessed by your build." She examined him once again. "You seem more the swordsman-like type."

When Lutus remained silent, Guile spoke up. "What he means to say is that he can perform non-verbal contact magic. Probably the only one on this continent who can, actually."

"Non-verbal magic!" Nina exclaimed. "But that's impossible! You can perform magic without a wand but it still needs to be channeled through the chants!" The very idea of magic being performed without spoken incantations went against everything Nina had learned in her studies.

"Tell that to magic boy over here," Guile said, jerking his head towards Lutus. "He's able to put people to sleep, confuse them, even make them blind simply by touching them with his hand. It may not be offensive magic, per say, but if he gets close enough, you're done." This rare compliment from Guile made Nina double take, falling back in thought. How was it possible?

The sound of Lutus' voice broke her reverie. "Maybe I'll get one last chance to demonstrate my trademark to you before we die."

Suddenly the trip grew very heavy and silent.

* * *

The troupe arrived at the checkpoint without incident. The silence had carried since Lutus' comment and it only grew heavier as they approached the bridge. Nina had always marveled at its design: a nearly quarter mile long bridge, connecting her homeland to a whole other world. She was not sure who had designed or even built it, yet both lands took great care in protecting their sides.

"Ten, maybe twelve," whispered Guile suddenly, causing Nina to jump slightly. She turned to face him and saw his expression darkened, looking out the corner of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Nina asked, trying to follow his gaze but seeing nothing besides forest surrounding the checkpoint. Apparently even the usual Wyndian guards posted at the entrance had been cleared, at least until the exchange was complete. Nina shivered slightly at the mere thought of it and what it meant for her escorts.

Alavex stepped up beside Guile. "I would say you are about right on," he said, his voiced hushed as well. "I expected more honestly, but if there are only a handful, you can expect them to be the top of their league." He had donned his signature cloak, a silky, midnight blue color that seemed to absorb the very light of the day. It was eerily fitting for the circumstance.

"Are you saying there are people set up for an ambush?" Nina questioned, catching on to the conversation. "How can you be sure?"

"It's something we were trained to do," replied Lutus, not bothering to lower his voice. "We would make for pretty sad assassins if we let the enemy get the one up on us, wouldn't we?"

Their conversation was cut short as a familiar figure appeared, walking down the path they had just minutes ago been traveling. A week ago, Nina had seen him as detached, surely, but never as a monster capable of the things she had been told. Now, staring at him as he regally marched towards the three, she felt for the first time a moment of doubt about everything she knew.

The king was dressed royally, his crown radiant in the high noon sunshine. He bore his stately cloak, draped around his shoulders and falling to his knees. It was almost a poetic clash: the king in his bold, golden attire against the dark and unadorned apparel of the Cloaks. Day versus night, good versus evil.

Finally, the king stood before the group, fifty paces from them. He swung a bag from his shoulder and held it before him. "The money, as you requested," he said, his voice calm and direct. He dropped the bag and it sounded with a large clash of coins. He held out his arm to indicate Nina. "Now, the princess."

"Lutus, go check the bag," Alavex commanded, his narrowed eyes locked with the king's. Lutus stepped forward and took the bag, bringing it to Alavex and opening it. Gold coins greeted them and Nina had no doubt it was the fifty million zenny they had demanded.

Alavex seemed to come to the same conclusion. He shot an apologetic look at Nina. "I am sorry we have put you through this, Princess Nina," he said solemnly. "However, my men and I make the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes that one day you will absolve us from this tyranny. Until then…" He trailed off then shook his head.

Nina knew there were no more words to say and though not fully unexpected tears threatened to surface, she suppressed them for the sake of the charade. These men were indeed making the ultimate sacrifice based on the slimmest of chances that she would help them. "Thank you," was all Nina trusted herself to say before turning away and heading towards her father.

Halfway there the ambush struck.

Someone appeared behind Nina and secured her, rushing her towards the king and safety as the rest pounced on the Cloaks. Nina made to scream but found she could only watch the carnage unfold.

Guile was the quickest to respond, his knives jumping to his hands as he furiously met the enemy head-on. However, quick though Guile was, the number and power of his opponents overwhelmed him and as he struck two down, two others ran him through with their blades. He growled and valiantly tried to continue fighting but as the blood ran from his mouth and wounds he slowed, ultimately falling to his knees before a sword swiftly connected with his neck.

The remaining turned to face Lutus, who was ready for the futile challenge. He raced toward them, unarmed. The two swordsmen must have been warned of his abilities for they hurriedly fell back towards the archers and mages in the back, though they were too slow. Lutus reached for both of them and wrapped his large hands around each of their skulls, covering their eyes. Suddenly he was struck by several flaming arrows, a combination of magic and archery. He followed Guile, but the damage had been done; the two swordsmen now clawed at their eyes, unable to see anything.

Now stood Alavex alone, one half-Woren against an elite Wyndian group of five. Apparently he had used the time his comrades had bought him, preparing a spell Nina sensed was both powerful and ancient. Completing the incantation, he swung his arms at the archers and mages, who were suddenly engulfed by a shower of lightning bolts. If Nina had thought the Myollnir spell was powerful, this one was on a whole different level.

A stray bolt shot towards her but was met with the soldier that had carried her away, scorching his body in a hot flash of light before throwing it into the forest. Without the support of the soldier, the force of the spell met her like a shockwave and threw her back unceremoniously to the ground.

After the dust settled slightly, Nina hesitantly opened her eyes. It had been an epic, albeit short battle. The remaining group of warriors had been reduced to dust, including the blind two Lutus had subdued. Guile and Lutus remained on the ground, a thin layer of dust blanketing them. At the end of the battlefield Nina could make out two figures. One was Alavex, kneeling down from sheer exertion of the spell, the other was the king, his sword drawn and pointed at Alavex's heart.

"It is such a waste," she heard him say, his voice cold. "Seeing the potential the three of you alone had, you really were excellent Cloaks."

"We were excellent tools," Alavex retorted sharply between breaths, "and when you were done with us, you tossed us away like tools. You may replace us, but no matter what you do, you'll never be able to defeat Ryu." At this, Alavex's face broke into a wearied grin, one that looked weathered by too many hardships in life. "Just remember that."

The king sneered and drove his sword into Alavex. The half-Woren let out a gasp of pain as the blade effortlessly passed through him and out again, before falling flat on the ground, unmoving and silent. The king flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing it and turning to Nina.

"Come," he said, his voice authoritative. "It is time to return to the kingdom."

* * *

Author's Note: Well it's been quite some time since the last update, I do apologize for that. However, the length of the actual story is turning out longer than what I had drawn up in my outline, so there was some rewriting that had to be done. I originally projected 15-20 chapters, so I'll start lengthening the chapters to try and keep to that outline, though I will probably exceed it. As for the actual story, I am trying to adapt a new writing style for this piece to make it stand from my others. I don't want all my stories to sound the same with different characters. Please leave me some feedback on what I can improve on. Thanks for your support!


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